Life
Woman hospitalized after removing napkin found stuffed in car door handle now warning others
When Erin saw a piece of garbage in her door handle she did what anyone would do and threw it away. She went back into the restaurant to wash her hands and by the time she came out, she was already feeling sick.
Elijah Chan
08.24.22

Danger can creep up on us the moment we least expect it.

It certainly did for Erin.

Erin Mims was celebrating her birthday at a restaurant in Houston. She started the day in festivities but ended it in fear and anxiety.

What she thought was a piece of trash made her end up in the hospital where she feared for her life.

It started with a napkin.

After dinner, Mims and her husband went to their car. They were about to drive to a local spa when she noticed something strange on her car.

There was a piece of balled napkin wedged in the passenger side door of their vehicle.

She did what anyone would do.

Thinking nothing about it, Mims fished it out and threw it in the bin. She even asked her husband if he placed the napkin there, to which her husband said no.

YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston

She they went back inside the restaurant so Erin could wash her hands. By the time she got back to the car, she started feeling sick.

As she sat in the car, she could feel her hand begin to tingle. After a few minutes, the sensation crept up her arm.

It started tingling too.

Then, her body felt numb and she began to have difficulty breathing.

YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston

“I started getting hot flashes, my chest was hurting, my heart was beating really fast.” Mims said to FOX26.

They acted fast.

Her husband rushed her to the nearest hospital to find out what was happening.

Mims was quickly decked for urinalysis, blood tests, and a CAT scan. Some of the tests came back to which the medical staff said her vitals “were all over the place”.

YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston

The doctor attending to her case couldn’t determine what caused her reaction but believed it was acute poisoning.

The doctor also said they can’t identify the poison because there was not enough of the substance in her system.

The potential reasoning was alarming.

They said it may have been a failed kidnap attempt. Mims decided to file an assault report with the Houston Police Department.

The local police said that it was their first time hearing about a modus like this. Even the local DEA said they never encountered a case like this.

YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston

Local poison control Expert Mark Winter of the Southeast Houston Poison Center said that her symptoms match hundreds of different substances, so it can be difficult to point out which.

However, the mere fact that she was poisoned was possible.

Erin Mims sounded off a warning.

To warn others, Mims took to social media to share her horrifying experience. The post quickly became viral.

YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston

Some people discussed what could’ve happened while others pointed out that it might just be a panic attack, especially when Mims mentioned in the video that she was a “germaphobe”.

Mims was adamant with her accounts, however, and pointed out that there was nothing wrong with being more careful.

So if you see anything that’s not yours, especially when you haven’t seen it before, it’s best not to directly touch it.

YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - KPRC 2 Click2Houston

“Physically, I’m ok but emotionally, mentally, I’m not. I don’t even want to go anywhere by myself.” Mims said to FOX26.

See how this mundane napkin sent a woman to the hospital in the video below!

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